Rotary stapler



1965 M. R. CHAFFEE ETAL 3,

ROTARY STAPLER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 8, 1963 M W 7 1 .V 3 m 1 I 4:2 4 y 7%- mi //vv/vr0/?$ MACK R. CHAFFEE DAV 14, 1965 M. R. CHAFFEE ETAL 3,223,304

ROTARY STAPLER 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 8, 1963 14, 1965 M. R. CHAFFEE ETAL 3,223,394

RQTARY STAPLER Filed March 8, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG. 6

United States Patent 3,223,304 ROTARY STAPLER Mack R. Chafiee, (Sandor, and David W. Leach, Eudwell,

N.Y., assignors to International Business Machines Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Mar. 8, 1963, Ser. No. 263,995 7 Claims. (Cl. 22781) This invention relates to stapling apparatus. More particularly, the invention relates to a high-speed rotary stapler which is especially useful to staple a moving web.

Although rotary stapling apparatus is generally known, the present-day tendency toward higher and higher speeds, that is, an increase in the number of stapling operations per unit time, has placed demands on the rotary staplers of the prior art which makes these devices unsuitable for high-speed operations, which typically occur when it is necessary to staple a fast-moving web of collated forms.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide new and improved stapling machines of the rotary type.

It is another object of this invention to provide rotary stapling apparatus specially suited for high-speed stapling operations.

It is still another object of this invention to provide rotary stapling apparatus for use with a high-speed collator.

Generally, the prior art rotary staplers for stapling moving webs can be classified into two groups, according to the problems which they present in high-speed operations. First, there is a class of rotary staplers in which the staple delivery, or driving, mechanism is cam operated during the delivery motion. When devices of this type are utilized to staple webs moving at high speeds, relative motion between the high-speed moving web and the staple, while it is being delivered, or driven, results in some tearing of the stapled medium. This is a highly undesirable phenomenon.

Accordingly, it is still another object of this invention to minimize relative motion or tearing when stapling high-speed moving webs.

A further object of this invention is to provide rotary stapling apparatus capable of almost instantaneous delivery, or driving, of a staple to a moving web.

The second major class of prior art rotary stapling machines is characterized by the means employed for cutting a suitable length of wire, and forming it into a staple. Particularly, although rotary stapling machines of the prior art have generally achieved improved staple forming operations by mounting the staple forming apparatus on the rotary carrier itself, a number of these devices still lack in that the wire supply is outside, and stationary with respect to, the rotating carrier, thereby necessitating a cutting operation which at times may develop undesirable transient forces, as the stat-ionary wire is cut and picked up on the run by the rotary carrier. In addition to creating the undesirable transient forces, this necessitates that accurate pick up apparatus be employed for suitably positioning the sheared wire on the rotary carrier for subsequent forming into a staple, and delivery.

Accordingly, it is another object of this invention to provide rotary stapling .apparatus which minimizes transient forces while the wire is being cut, and a staple is being formed.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a rotary stapling apparatus which minimizes relative velocities during a wire cutting and staple forming operation.

In accordance with the invention, the rotary stapler comprises a rotating housing on which is mounted the wire supply, the Wire cutting and staple forming mechanism for common rotation therewith, and a staple driv- Patented Dec. 14, 1965 ing mechanism which, during a portion of a complete revolution by the rotating carrier, cooperates with the wire cutting and staple forming mechanism, to cut a wire, and form a staple. A spring-biased hammer mechanism actuates the staple driving mechanism and gives almost instantaneous delivery of the staple so formed to the moving web at the end of each complete revolution of the rotary carrier. Cam means are provided to actuate the staple driving mechanism and to provide the necessary motion during a portion of the rotary cycle to cut the wire and form the staple.

Special means, comprising a link pivoted on the rotary carrier, impart the reciprocating motion of the driving mechanism to move a sliding anvil, also mounted on the rotary carrier, in and out of the path of the reciprocating driving mechanism while a wire is being cut, and a staple is being formed.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view, partially cut away, of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 22 in FIG. 1, and shows the camming mechanism of the invention as well as the wire feed and the wire cutting and staple forming means.

FIG. 2a is a perspective view showing a portion of the mechanism of FIG. 2.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view similar to the view of FIG. 2, but shows the camming mechanism, wire feeding and cutting means, and staple forming means at a difierent stage in the cycle of operation.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the mechanism of FIG. 2a with the outer housing and wire feeding unit removed.

FIG. 4a is a plan view of the mechanism of FIG. 4.

General descripti0n.(Refer to FIGS. 1, 2 and '3 The invention is embodied in structure which briefly comprises a disc 10 adapted for rotation about shaft '13. Attached to disc 10, is a housing 15 which houses two sliding members, a driving slide 17 and a shear form slide 16. Driving slide 17 has cars 27 following the cam races 19 of a pair of matched cams 18, so that as disc 16 rotates, slide -17 moves radially in and out. Also attached to disc 10 is a wire feed spool 41 which feeds wire 50 through two one-way wire feeds 42 and 44, for eventual formation into staples.

As disc 10 rotates, the ears 27 follow the cam races 19 and cause the driving slide 17 to move radially in and out. The reciprocating motion of slide 17 is imparted, by means of a rocker link 29, to a moving anvil slide 22 which feeds wire into the path of the reciprocating shear form slide 16 and which also forms an anvil support over which slide 16 forms a staple. This occurs during the first of clockwise rotation from the position shown in FIG. 2. After a staple has been formed by the shear form slide 16, disc 10 continues to rotate and immediately prior to completing 360 of rotation, at cocking cam 35 moves the spring-biased hammer 36 against the bias of spring 37 into a loaded position. Thereafter, as disc 10 continues to rotate, the ears 27 drop off a ledge in the cam races 19 and the spring-biased hammer 36 is released for a downward stroke to impel the driving slide 17 which forces a staple into the moving Web of collated forms 60. In the preferred form of the invention, a second rotating disc 20, disposed below the rotating disc 19, carries a crimping anvil 23 in timed relation with the firing of driving slide 17, so that a staple is fired into the moving web 60 once for every complete revolution of discs 10 and 20.

After a staplehas been driven, disc 10 continues to rotate and again will cause a length of wire to be fed, and cut into a staple, during the first 180 of rotation, whereafter the formed staple is heldfor delivery to the moving web 60 at the end of 360 of rotation. The following detailed description will make the invention more easily understood.

Detailed description Referring particularly to FIG. 1, there is shown a disc 10 rotatably mounted on a stationary shaft 13 which in turn is supported in a side frame 14. Disc 10 is attached to a gear 12 by means of a pin 11. A motor 30 rotates disc 10 by. transferring power to gear 12 via a gear train comprising gears 31, 31a, 21a, and 21. A second disc 20 carries a crimping anvil 23 and is mounted on shaft 25 for rotation in timed relation with the rotating disc 10.

Disc 10 also carries a housing 15 which supports and guides a shear form slide 16 (see also FIG. which, in turn, houses andguides a staple driving slide 17. Ears 27 at the end of slide 17, follow the races 19 (see also FIG. 2) of a pair of matched cams 18 which are held stationary to shaft 13. The shaft 13, and hence also cams 18, are held against rotation, so that as disc rotates about shaft 13, the cars 27 guide in the cam races 19, thereby radially reciprocating the slide 17.

Referring now more particularly to FIG. 2, housing also contains a curved anvil slide 22 disposed along the circumference of housing 15 and sliding in grooves 24. As slide 17 moves radially in and out, pin 28a, mounted on theextension 28 of slide 17, engages a rocker link 29 andpivots it on a pin 32 attached to housing 15. The pivoting rocker link 29 slides the anvil slide 22 by engaging a pin 33 connected to the anvil slide. As a result, anvil slide 22 reciprocates circumferentially as the driving slide 17 reciprocates radially.

Also mounted on the rotatable disc 10, is a spool 41 for holding a supply of wire which pays out from spool 41 into two one-way wire feeds 42 and 44, mounted on the housing 15 and the anvil slide 22, respectively (also see'FIG. 2a).

Wire feed (FIG. 2)

As wire 50-is fed from spool 41, along the lines shown, it enters a first one-way wire feed assembly 42 through which it can move only in the direction of feed (i.e., clockwise as shown in the drawings). The moving anvil slide 22 carries, by means of a rigid guide tube 45 (FIG. 2a), the other one-way wire feed assembly 44 through which the wire 50 is fed. The free feed direction of wire feed assembly 44 is opposed to that of wire feed 42; thus, the wire 50 is' fed through assembly 44 by a backward movement of the anvil 22. When anvil 22 moves forward, the assembly 44 grips the wire and pulls it through assembly 42 whereafter the wire is guided, by means of the rigid guide tube 45 and the wire guide 22a (FIG. 2a) in a right angle path to that of anvil 22 for shearing and forming by the shear form slide 16. As shown in FIG. 2a, the wire 50 is guided by wire guide 22a to overlap the lower portion of the anvil slide 22 (see also FIG. 5a).

Forming a staple Referring now particularly to FIG. 3, the position of the elements is shown after the rotary carrier 10 has rotated 90 clockwise from the position shown in FIG. 2, In FIG. l de 1 i at its in er ost r dial i and the anvil slide 22 has been brought to its most forward position in preparation for a shearing and staple forming operation. As the disc It) continues to rotate from the position shown in FIG. 3, the cam races 19 force the slide 17 radially outward whereby the wire shearing and staple forming slide 16 (see FIG. 4) is also moved radially outward, principally through the action of a driving link 52 connected to the slide 17 and imparting the motion thereof to slide 16, as described in more detail below. During this movement, the shear form slide 16, more particularly the forked end 46 thereof, comes into contact with the wire 50 and shears it between the top edge of the slide 16 and a shear block 65, mounted on cover plate 15a (see FIGS. 2a and 5a). Cover plate 15a is removably mounted to housing 15 (FIG. 2a) and provides a mounting surface for shear block 65 as well as a means of access to the anvil 22, shear form slide 16, and slide 16 which are mounted within housing 15. Thereafter, continued outward movement of form slide 16 bends the severed end portion of the wire 50 over the anvil 22, thus forming a staple (see FIG. 5a). While the wire is thus cut and formed during the outward travel of slide 16, sliding anvil 22 does not move due to lost motion provided by the wide slot 26 in the rocker link 29. However, just as the staple forming operation is completed, the pin 28a contacts the left-hand side of groove 26 (FIG. 3) and anvil slide 22 is retracted as continued outward travel of the slide 17 pivots rocker link 29 in a counterclockwise direction and causes the notch 34 of link 29 to engage pin 33 of slide 22. By the time the disc has rotated clockwise from the position shown in FIG. 3, a formed staple is held in a recessed groove in the forked end 46 of shear slide 16 (FIG. 5), ready to be driven into the web of collated forms 60.

Driving the staple As disc 10 continues to rotate, and just before it has rotated 270 from the position shown in FIG. 3, a curved hammer 36 (shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3) which runs up and down in guides 38, mounted in key 58 in shaft 13, is moved up by the cooking cam 35, which rides on the rotating disc 10. The cam 35 forces the hammer 36 against the bias of the spring 37 to spring load hammer 36.

As the slide 17 continues to follow the races 19, it drops off a ledge in races 19 at 270 rotation after that shown in FIG. 3, and at the same time, hammer 36 drops off the cocking cam 35, so that all of the motion of hammer 36, acting under the spring bias, is imparted to the slide 17. As previously mentioned, at this point in time in the preferred embodiment of the invention, a second rotary cylinder 20 has brought a crimping anvil 23 in opposite registration with the driving slide 17 so that, as the spring-biased hammer 36 drives the driving slide 17 to force the staple into the moving web 60 in an almost instantaneous manner, the crimping anvil 23 is directly beneath the driven stape to crimp it and complete one stapling operation.

Motion between slides 16 and 17 Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown a perspective view of apparatus for accomplishing the relative motion between shear form slide 16 and staple driving slide 17 as they move with respect to each other during a wire cutting and staple forming operation. The parts are numbered in the same manner as in the previous figures. Additional details not shown in other figures, include a driving link 52- which is pivoted on driving slide 17. Driving link 52 is. normally biased by a leaf spring 53 into a position where it engages a notch 55 (FIG. 4a) in shear form slide 16, so that as driving slide 17 moves radially outward the shear form slide 16 moves therewith by means of the contact through the driving link 52. However, after slide 17 has moved radially outward for a given and predetermined distance, a stationary release cam 54 mounted to cover plate 15a knocks ofi link 52 from notch 55 in the slide 16 whereafter no driving force is applied to slide 16. Slide 16 is checked from further radial outward movement by the stationary release cam 54 which engages a shoulder portion 56 on slide 16. Slide 17 now continues to move with respect to slide 16, as most particularly shown in FIG. 5, to force the staple out of the forked end 46 of slide 16 into the moving web 60.

After slide 17 has driven a staple, it begins to move radi ally in toward the center of the disc which causes driving link 52 to be reseated by leaf spring 53 into engagement with the shear form slide 16. Thereafter, driving slide 17 and shear slide 16 begin a joint return motion. Subsequently, a sequence of events as described above occurs for every rotation of the disc 10.

Adjustment means While the invention has been described with reference to an embodiment in which the stapling operations occur at a fixed point with respect to the sides of the moving web 60, it is within the scope of the invention to adjust the rotary stapler to accomplish stapling at selected positions across the width of the moving web 60. FIG. 6 and FIG. 1 show the necessary modifications which allow this to be done. Briefly, FIG. 6 is in most respects identical to FIG. 1, but additionally includes a clamping collar 57 mounted on shaft 13, a key 58 in shaft 13, and a screw 62 to attach the collar 57 to the key 58. FIG. 1, in turn, shows a clamping screw 64 which clamps the collar 57 to the shaft 13 After turning the clamping screw 64, which loosens the clamping collar 57, it is possible to slide the rotating disc 10 and the elements attached thereto axially along shaft 13, since freedom for such motion is provided by the key 58 in shaft 13. Likewise, a similar adjustment would be made to slide disc 20 along shaft 25, in a similar key (not shown). Thereafter the clamping screw 64 is tightened and allows the disc 10 and its elements to staple the moving web 60 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) at any selected location across its width.

To preserve the power train from motor 30 to gear 12, as the assembly 10 is slid along shaft 13, gear 12 is provided with flanges 59 which serve to trap the gear 21 and force gear 21 to travel therewith. Gear 21 is also allowed to slide on its shaft by the provision of a key (not shown).

Further, the rotary stapling apparatus of the invention can be adjusted so as to handle a varying thickness of webs 60 which are to be stapled. For this purpose, it may be advantageous to regulate the distance between disc 10 and disc 20, so that the crimping anvil 23 can be variably spaced from the staple driving element 17 of the invention. Accordingly, a center adjusting plate 61, affixed to the shaft 25, can be moved with respect to the frame 14 by loosening a screw 63. Thereafter, the adjusting plate 61 can be moved vertically in FIG. 6. This permits spacing variations between disc 10 and disc 20 which may be as high as 5, of an inch.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A high-speed rotary stapler, comprising:

a stationary shaft;

a rotatable disc mounted on said shaft;

stationary cam surface means mounted on said shaft adjacent to said disc;

means for rotating said disc;

staple driving means slidably mounted on said disc and having means to engage said cam surface means whereby said driving means is reciprocated radially 6 in and out with respect to said disc as said disc 'r'otates;

staple forming means releasably connected to and reciprocably slidable on said staple driving means to reciprocate therewith;

a forming anvil slidably mounted on said disc and connected to said staple driving means to move in and out of the path of said staple forming means whereby said forming anvil is in the path of said staple forming means as said staple forming means is moved toward said forming anvil by said staple driving means to form a staple around said forming anvil;

spring-biased hammer means mounted on said shaft to contact said staple driving means and provide an impact force to move said staple driving means outwardly in a staple driving stroke; and

cocking cam means mounted on said rotatable disc to engage and cook said spring-biased hammer means.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 including:

wire supply means mounted on said rotatable disc for supplying wire to said forming anvil said forming anvil carrying wire feed means to feed wire when said forming anvil is moved into the path of said staple forming means.

3. 'A high-speed rotary stapler for stapling a moving web of over-lapping sheet material, comprising:

a stationary shaft;

a rotatable disc mounted on said shaft;

means for rotating said disc;

a pair of stationary matched cams having identical cam grooves and mounted on said shaft adjacent to said rotatable disc;

staple driving means having cam follower means engaging in said cam grooves and mounted on said disc for reciprocal radial movement relative to said disc;

staple forming means releasably connected to and slidable on said staple driving means to reciprocate on said staple driving means as said disc rotates;

a forming anvil slidably mounted on said disc adjacent to said staple driving means;

transfer means for imparting the reciprocating motion of said staple driving means to said forming anvil to move said forming anvil in and out of the path of said staple forming means, whereby said forming anvil is in the path of said staple forming means as said staple forming means is moved toward said forming anvil and a staple is formed around said forming anvil by said staple forming means;

spring-biased hammer means mounted on said shaft to contact said staple driving means and provide an impact force to move said staple driving means outwardly in a staple driving stroke; and

cocking cam means mounted on said rotatable disc to engage said spring-biased hammer means.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, including:

wire supply means mounted on said rotatable disc for supplying wire to said forming anvil, said forming anvil carrying wire feed means to feed wire when said forming anvil means is moved into the path of said staple forming means.

5. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said transfer means include:

a rocker link pivoted on said rotatable disc;

means mounted on said staple driving means for engaging said pivoted rocker link, said pivoted rocker link engaging said forming anvil to impart the reciprocating motion of said staple driving meansto move said anvil means in and out of the path of said reciprocating staple driving means.

6. In a stapling apparatus in which a formed staple is driven into a web by movable staple driving means, the combination comprising:

cam surface means, said cam surface means comprising a pair of stationary matched cams having identical cocking means for cocking said spring-biased hammer cam grooves and at least one discontinuous ledge; means prior to the engagement of said staple driving cam follower means attached to said movable staple means by said spring-biased hammer means.

driving means, and riding on said cam surface means; means for moving said cam follower means with re- 5 References Cited y the Examillfl' spect to said cam surface means to move said staple UNITED STATES PATENTS driving means in a predetermnied linear motion;

615,253 12/1898 Crowell 1368 spring biased hammer means engaging said staple driv 881,900 3/1908 church 1 368 ing means to impart a driving stroke to said staple driving means when said cam follower means follow 10 GRANVILLE Y CUSTER JR Primary Examiner said discontinuous ledge in said cam surface means.

7. The stapling apparatus of claim 6 including: 

1. A HIGH-SPEED ROTARY STAPLER, COMPRISING: A STATIONARY SHAFT; A ROTATABLE DISC MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT; STATIONARY CAM SURFACE MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT ADJACENT TO SAID DISC; MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID DISC; STAPLE DRIVING MEANS SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID DISC AND HAVING MEANS TO ENGAGE SAID CAM SURFACE MEANS WHEREBY SAID DRIVING MEANS IS RECIPROCATED RADIALLY IN AND OUT WITH RESPECT TO SAID DISC AS SAID DISC ROTATES; STAPLE FORMING MEANS RELEASABLY CONNECTED TO AND RECIPROCABLY SLIDABLE ON SAID STAPLE DRIVING MEANS TO RECIPROCABLE THEREWITH; A FORMING ANVIL SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID DISC AND CONNECTED TO SAID STAPLE DRIVING MEANS TO MOVE IN AND OUT OF THE PATH OF SAID STAPLE FORMING MEANS WHEREBY SAID FORMING AN ANVIL IS IN THE PATH OF SAID STAPLE FORMING MEANS AS SAID STAPLE FORMING MEANS IS MOVED TOWARD SAID FORMING ANVIL BY SAID STAPLE DRIVING MEANS TO FORM A STAPLE AROUND SAID FORMING ANVIL; SPRING-BIASED HAMMER MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT TO CONTACT SAID STAPLE DRIVING MEANS AND PROVIDE AN IMPACT FORCE TO MOVE SAID STAPLE HAVING MEANS OUTWARDLY IN A STAPLE DRIVING STROKE; AND COCKING CAM MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID ROTATABLE DISC TO ENGAGE AND COCK SAID SPRING-BIASED HAMMER MEANS. 